Drug laws

Different countries have drug laws that prohibit or regulate the use of recreational drugs, especially the ones that alter the state of consciousness to create positive emotions and feelings.

There are penalties for cultivation, possession, use or trafficking of illegal drugs, which range from fines and jail sentences to capital punishment.

This article contains general advice, followed at the reader's own risk. None of it should be taken as legal or medical advice.

Alcohol

Six countries prohibit the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol; namely Brunei, Iran, Kuwait, Libya, Saudi Arabia and Sudan. The Maldives also has general prohibition on alcohol, but tourist resort islands are exempt from it.

In addition, India has five "dry states" in which the manufacture, distribution, importation, and sale of alcohol is prohibited or tightly restricted; namely Bihar, Gujarat, Lakshadweep (except Bangaram), Mizoram, and Nagaland. There are also some "dry towns" in the Canadian Arctic and some American small towns, counties, and Indian reservations that prohibit the sale or possession of alcohol.

In countries where drinking is legal, there is often a minimum age, below which you cannot legally buy alcoholic beverages.

Cannabis

In many countries, usage and possession of cannabis are illegal, and enforcement might be strict, even for traces remaining in your body. Some countries might also outlaw the usage and possession of CBD products. Other countries criminalize cannabis trafficking, but do not punish users. In a few countries and territories, the whole production and consumption chain of cannabis is legal, in some for medical, in some also for recreational use.

Border controls on drugs are generally stringent. This includes borders within the United States, where neighboring states might have different drug laws — and even when they have the same laws, bringing cannabis from one state to another violates federal drug trafficking laws.

Coca

Psychedelic

Tobacco

Bhutan and Turkmenistan are the two countries that completely banned the sale of all tobacco products.

Smoking is prohibited in most or all indoor public spaces, including aircraft, buses, and trains. In many cases, police and other authorities can punish unauthorized smoking with a fine issued on site (or just a reprimand, if the smoker is lucky). At high-risk locations, such as gas stations, aircraft and industries, smoking can be relatively harshly punished, even leading to a prison stay. Manipulating ventilation or smoke detectors on commercial aircraft to allow smoking, is prohibited.

Many countries have restrictions on the quantity of cigarettes or tobacco that can be brought into the country. In many countries, tobacco products are taxed heavily, so those importing more than a few packets of these products should expect to pay import duties. On the other hand, many countries also have facilities that permit departing travellers to purchase these same products, duty free, at the border, as they leave the country.

Related products, such as e-cigarettes (vapes) are also regulated in many countries, and some of the liquids sold for them are outright illegal in some places. Smokeless tobacco products are also regulated in most parts of the world.